American Rust - Philipp Meyer

American Rust

Philipp Meyer

A&U




American Rust is a story of unfulfilled dreams; a story of a town raised on the back of a steel factory and its slow death once the factory closes down. Set against the natural beauty of Pennsylvania, Meyer paints the aftermath of economic downturn on people once their livelihood is taken away.


Isaac and Poe are two young men bound to the town by their families, responsibilities and its natural beauty. They both dream of a future away from the shackles that keeps them from moving forward. A violent act however sets them on a course that threatens to trap them further into the very life they wish to escape.


What I liked best about this book is that the characters are real with everyday ambitions and frailties. There are no heroes overcoming super human situations. Just regular people with simple dreams of college, family, love and a happy home life.


Told with empathy and great insight, American Rust a hugely ambitious book for a first time writer. Meyer however has managed to execute his task to perfection. It is a timely book given the recent collapse of GM and the closing of factories in US and abroad.